Merfs wants you to have the most delicious Christmas ham on the block. Your guests are sure to love this mildly spicy centerpiece. Here’s a couple tips for buying the perfect ham in case you need some help at the grocery store!
Amount to buy: If you’re serving ham as a main course, you’ll need about 1/3 to 1/2 of a pound per person for bone-in hams. For boneless ham, buy 1/4 to 1/3 a pound per person.
- Buy the size ham that corresponds best to the number of guests you’ll be having!
Buy bone-in ham. Yes, the bone is a little more work to cut around, but the meat is more flavorful, and the hambone can be used to flavor soups and stews.
Check the label. City hams can be artificially plumped up with water or solutions, but this dilutes the flavor, so look for one with no added water or juices. The label should just read “ham” — not Ham, water added or Ham with natural juices.
Shank end or butt end? Hams can weigh up to 15 pounds, so they are usually cut into two pieces and sold separately. The butt end is leaner but has trickier bones to deal with when slicing, while the shank end is fattier and only has one long, straight bone.
Whole or spiral cut? While a whole ham will remain moister than one that’s pre-cut, a properly cooked spiral-cut ham is very convenient since it’s already cut into thin slices that just need to be cut away from the bone. The choice is really up to you — while spiral-cut is much easier, if you want to have big chunks of ham, go with a whole.
For the Sweet Berry Bourbon Glaze:
- 1 cup Bourbon
Check out these local Colorado options for the best flavor:
- Small Batch Colorado Bourbon Whiskey by 291 Colorado Whiskey
- Boulder Bourbon by Boulder Spirits
- Three-Way Barrel Aged Bourbon by Branch and Barrel
- 5 cup Brown Lankato Monkfruit sweetener (or regular lite brown sugar)
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- ¼ c. Yellow Mustard (Don’t be alarmed at the yellow mustard. It’s for adherence and stickiness, not flavor)
- ¼ cup Jamberry Sriracha
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 Degrees.
- In a medium saucepan, bring Bourbon, cinnamon sticks, and brown sugar to a simmer. Allow simmering for 15-20 minutes until sauce becomes slightly thickened. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Place the baked ham inside desired roasting pan. Pour the glaze over the ham and even in between the ham slices, even the cinnamon sticks. Use a pastry brush and brush the ham with the yellow mustard, skin side. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover with aluminum foil completely. Bake for 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 145 Degrees.
- Allow the ham to sit for 10-15 minutes. Use a turkey baster or large mixing spoon and baste the ham with the glaze. Remove slices from ham and place on desired serving platter. Add a bit more of the glaze on top of the ham if desired.
